Local Government – NDA Polity PYQs

NDA 2025-II

Q. 1. Which one of the following committees is NOT associated with decentralization of Panchayati Raj institutions in India?

(a)  Balwant Rai Mehta Committee

(b)  Ashok Mehta Committee

(c)  L. M. Singhvi Committee

(d)  Abhijit Sen Committee

Answer: (d) Abhijit Sen Committee

Explanation: The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) recommended democratic decentralisation and the three-tier Panchayati Raj system: Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, and Zila Parishad. The Ashok Mehta Committee (1977–78) recommended a two-tier Panchayati Raj structure with greater devolution of financial powers and direct elections at the district level. The L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986) recommended that Panchayati Raj institutions be given constitutional status and protection: the recommendation that directly led to the 73rd Amendment. The Abhijit Sen Committee is NOT associated with Panchayati Raj decentralisation. It was a government expert group on agricultural costs, prices, and food security policy: entirely different from local government reform. Concept Tested: Panchayati Raj committees: Balwant Rai Mehta (1957), Ashok Mehta (1977–78), L.M. Singhvi (1986); Abhijit Sen Committee:  NOT a Panchayati Raj committee

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: Three committees, three contributions: Balwant Rai Mehta:  three-tier structure (1957); Ashok Mehta:  two-tier revision and devolution (1977–78); L.M. Singhvi:  constitutional status (1986, directly triggering the 73rd Amendment). The Abhijit Sen Committee sounds like a social policy committee but was concerned with agricultural economics and food security: not Panchayati Raj.

NDA 2025-I

Q. 2. The Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act made provision for whom?

(a)  An elaborate system of establishing municipal self-government

(b)  An elaborate system of establishing panchayats as units of self-government

(c)  Constituting a Commission for Linguistic Minorities

(d)  The creation of Jharkhand State

Answer: (b) An elaborate system of establishing panchayats as units of self-government

Explanation: The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 made provision for an elaborate system of establishing Panchayats as units of self-government in rural India. Option (a): municipal self-government: was the subject of the companion 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, not the 73rd Amendment. Option (c): Commission for Linguistic Minorities: is a separate constitutional mechanism under Article 350-B, unrelated to the 73rd Amendment. Option (d): creation of Jharkhand: occurred in 2000 through the Bihar Reorganisation Act, also unrelated to the 73rd Amendment. Concept Tested: 73rd Amendment exclusively established Panchayats as units of self-government; 74th Amendment:  Municipal self-government

NDA 2023-II

Q. 3. Which one of the following provisions of the Constitution of India deals with District Planning Committee?

(a)  243ZD

(b)  243ZB

(c)  243ZE

(d)  243ZC

Answer: (a)  243ZD

Explanation: Article 243ZD provides for the District Planning Committee. It is in Part IX-A (Municipalities) of the Constitution. Article 243ZD directs every State to constitute a District Planning Committee to consolidate the plans prepared by Panchayats and Municipalities in the district and to prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole. Article 243ZE provides for the Metropolitan Planning Committee: the parallel body for metropolitan areas with a population of one million or more. The two are related but serve different geographic scales. Articles 243ZB and 243ZC are other provisions in Part IX-A and do not relate to the District Planning Committee. Concept Tested: Article 243ZD: District Planning Committee; Article 243ZE: Metropolitan Planning Committee (not District)

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: Memory anchor: ZD:  District. The ‘D’ in 243ZD corresponds to ‘District’ in District Planning Committee. Article 243ZE:  Metropolitan Planning Committee: for areas with population of 1 million or more. ZD covers the district; ZE covers the metropolitan scale.

NDA 2022-II

Q. 4. Which one of the following is not a power of Panchayats under Article 243G?

(a)  Land improvement

(b)  Implementation of land reforms

(c)  Land consolidation and soil conservation

(d)  Regulation of land revenue

Answer: (d)  Regulation of land revenue

Explanation: Options (a), (b), and (c): land improvement, implementation of land reforms, and land consolidation and soil conservation: are all contained in Entry 2 of the Eleventh Schedule and may be devolved to Panchayats under Article 243-G. Option (d): regulation of land revenue: is NOT a Panchayat power. Land revenue is a State List subject (Entry 45, List II, Seventh Schedule) and is administered by State Revenue Departments, not by Panchayats. Land revenue is the tax paid on agricultural land: a traditional State administrative function. It has never been included in the Eleventh Schedule or devolved to Panchayats. Concept Tested: Article 243G: Panchayat powers include land improvement, land reforms, and soil conservation; NOT land revenue regulation (State subject, Entry 45 State List)

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: All four options relate to land. The trap is that ‘regulation of land revenue’ sounds like a local governance function. Land revenue is a State function: never devolved to Panchayats.

NDA 2022-I

Q. 5. Panchayati Raj Institutions are primarily the institutions of

(a)  Popular Government

(b)  Self-Government

(c)  Federal Government

(d)  Quasi-Government

Answer: (b)  Self-Government

Explanation: Panchayati Raj Institutions are constitutionally characterised as institutions of self-government. Article 243 defines ‘Panchayat’ as an institution of self-government constituted under Article 243-B. The underlying concept is that local communities govern themselves through elected representatives at the local level. Popular government describes electoral democracy broadly. Federal government describes the Centre-State relationship. Quasi-government describes bodies with partial governmental characteristics. None of these accurately capture the constitutional description of Panchayati Raj. Concept Tested: Panchayati Raj as institutions of self-government: constitutional characterisation under Article 243

NDA 2017-II

Q. 6. Which one of the following is not a subject that has been devolved to the Panchayati Raj Institutions by the 11th Schedule of the Constitution of India?

(a)  Non-conventional energy resources

(b)  Roads

(c)  Higher education

(d)  Libraries

Answer: (c) Higher education

Explanation: Options (a), (b), and (d) are all listed in the Eleventh Schedule as subjects that may be devolved to Panchayati Raj Institutions. Non-conventional energy resources is Entry 15 of the Eleventh Schedule. Roads, culverts, bridges, ferries, waterways, and other means of communication is Entry 13. Libraries is Entry 20. Higher education is NOT in the Eleventh Schedule. Primary and secondary education are included (Entry 17), but higher education: a Concurrent List subject under the Seventh Schedule: is outside the scope of subjects devolved to Panchayats. Concept Tested: Eleventh Schedule: 29 subjects for Panchayats; higher education is NOT included; primary/secondary education IS (Entry 17)

NDA 2015-II

Q. 7. The Panchayati Raj system under Part-IX of the Constitution of India does not apply to the States of:

(a)  Assam, Mizoram and Nagaland

(b)  Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura

(c)  Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram

(d)  Sikkim, Tripura and Meghalaya

Answer: (c) Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram

Explanation: Under Article 243-M, Part IX of the Constitution does not apply to the States of Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. These three northeastern States are excluded because they have tribal customary law and traditional governance systems that the Constitution recognises and preserves. Their traditional councils and customary practices are protected under other constitutional provisions. Assam, Tripura, and Sikkim are NOT excluded from Part IX: they are covered by the Panchayati Raj provisions like all other States. The incorrect options all contain one or two correctly excluded States combined with an incorrectly excluded State. Only option (c): Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram: is entirely correct. Concept Tested: Article 243-M: Part IX does NOT apply to Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram; Assam and Tripura ARE covered

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: Memory anchor: NMM:  No Panchayat Part IX: Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram. Assam and Tripura are northeastern States but are fully covered by Part IX. The exclusion is based on tribal customary governance, not northeast geography.

NDA 2015-I

Q. 8. Which of the following are the basic features of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act?

1. Provides for a three-tier structure of panchayats in the village, intermediary and district levels.
2. Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and women in all the tiers of panchayats.
3. Election to panchayats under the supervision of the State Election Commissions.
4. Introduction of the 11th Schedule to the Constitution.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a)  1, 2 and 3 only

(b)  3 and 4 only

(c)  1, 2, 3 and 4

(d)  2 and 4 only

Answer: (c)  1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation: All four statements are basic features of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992. Statement 1: A mandatory three-tier structure of Panchayats: Gram Panchayat (village), intermediate Panchayat (block), and district Panchayat (Zila Parishad): was introduced for States with a population over twenty lakh. Statement 2: Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes proportional to their population, and not less than one-third of total seats for women, is constitutionally mandated at all tiers. Statement 3: Each State must constitute a State Election Commission to superintend, direct, and control the preparation of electoral rolls and conduct of elections to Panchayat bodies. Statement 4: The Eleventh Schedule: listing twenty-nine subjects that may be devolved to Panchayats: was added to the Constitution by the 73rd Amendment. Concept Tested: 73rd Amendment features: three-tier structure; SC/ST/women reservation; State Election Commission; Eleventh Schedule with 29 subjects

NDA 2013-I

Q. 9. Point out the difference between the local government in India before and after the Constitutional Amendments in 1992:

1. It has become mandatory to hold regular elections to the local government bodies.
2. ⅓rd positions are reserved for women.
3. Elected officials exercise supreme power in the government.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a)  1 only

(b)  1 and 2 only

(c)  1, 2 and 3

(d)  2 and 3 only

Answer: (b)  1 and 2 only

Explanation: Statement 1 is correct. Before 1992, elections to Panchayati Raj bodies were often irregular or indefinitely postponed by State Governments. The 73rd and 74th Amendments made regular elections constitutionally mandatory and placed their supervision under independent State Election Commissions. Statement 2 is correct. Before 1992, reservation for women in Panchayat bodies was not uniformly mandated across States. The 73rd Amendment made it constitutionally mandatory to reserve not less than one-third of all seats for women at every tier of Panchayati Raj. Statement 3 is incorrect. Panchayati Raj bodies exercise only those powers that the State Legislature chooses to devolve to them under Article 243-G. State Governments retain significant control through legislation and administrative oversight. The 73rd Amendment did not make Panchayats supreme authorities: this is the same position as before 1992. Statements 1 and 2 are genuine changes introduced by the 1992 amendments. Statement 3 is not a change: it was not true before 1992, and it remains untrue after. Concept Tested: 1992 Constitutional Amendments: changes: mandatory elections and women’s reservation; no change: Panchayats did NOT gain supreme power

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: ‘Elected officials exercise supreme power’ is the key false proposition. Panchayats exercise only devolved powers: the State Legislature decides what to devolve. This was true before 1992 and remains true after.

NDA 2012-II

Q. 10. Consider the following statements: The state government shall appoint a Finance Commission to review the financial position of the Panchayats and to make recommendations as to

1. the distribution between the state and Panchayats of the net proceeds of taxes, tolls and fees leviable by the states.
2. the determination of the taxes, duties, tolls and fees which may be assigned to the Panchayats.
3. the principles that will determine grant-in-aid to the Panchayats.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)  1 only

(b)  2 and 3 only

(c)  1 and 3 only

(d)  1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation: All three statements describe the constitutional mandates of the State Finance Commission under Article 243-I. The State Finance Commission reviews the financial position of Panchayats and makes recommendations on three specific matters: the distribution between the State and Panchayats of the net proceeds of taxes, duties, tolls, and fees leviable by the State; the determination of taxes, duties, tolls, and fees which may be assigned to or appropriated by Panchayats; and the grants-in-aid to Panchayats from the Consolidated Fund of the State. All three statements are correct. Every State Government must appoint a State Finance Commission once every five years. Concept Tested: State Finance Commission (Article 243-I): three recommendation mandates: tax distribution, tax assignment, and grants-in-aid for Panchayats

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: The State Finance Commission (Article 243-I) operates at the State-Panchayat level. It is structurally parallel to the national Finance Commission (Article 280), which operates at the Centre-State level. A similar State Finance Commission also exists for Municipalities under Article 243-Y: the same body covers both Panchayats and Municipalities in a State.

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